Pulaski changes mind on Central time

Officials declare home rule for Eastern time.

Officials declare home rule for Eastern time.

February 08, 2006

WINAMAC (AP) -- Officials in Pulaski County want to ditch the time-zone change that they asked the federal government to grant a few months ago. The County Commissioners and County Council both voted unanimously Monday to declare "home rule" and stay on Eastern time if a federal agency does not grant an appeal to change the time-zone ruling made last month. The meeting on the time-zone issue drew a crowd of local residents that filled a courthouse meeting room and spilled out into the hallway and down the stairs. Many people spoke against the U.S. Department of Transportation's decision to shift the county to Central time beginning April 2, when daylight-saving time begins. "I can count on this hand, the ones who want Central, and of those, three of them don't even know why," Pulaski County Commissioner Terry Young said. Officials in the county asked for the shift last year when all of the surrounding counties were doing the same. But the federal agency only shifted neighboring Starke County to Central time and rejected requests from six other nearby counties. County officials pointed to the five southeastern Indiana counties that for years observed daylight-saving time even though they were not legally allowed to do so as an example of local governments having authority on how to set their clocks. "There are counties in southern Indiana that do it now," Commissioner Mike Tiede said. "So if we impose, it will break the confusion." Federal officials received time-zone change requests from 17 Indiana counties by a September deadline. The transportation department did not include Pulaski County in a preliminary list released in October of which counties were being considered for a move to Central time. But Pulaski and Starke were the only ones in northern Indiana which the agency last month approved for moves to Central time. Six southwestern Indiana counties were granted time-zone changes, but one of those -- Martin County -- is also considering whether to seek having that move reversed. "While it's official, it's unofficial, we will not set our clocks with Chicago, we'll set our clocks with Indianapolis," Pulaski County Council President Sam Frain said.